I've been wanting to try these, but my gym doesn't even have a place for regular dips. I've been using 2 incline benches until now with good results, can I do the same for Gironda Dips? I was going to make a slight V shape with the benches, but the thing is that I can't lower with a good range of motion without bending at the knees or I'll be hitting the floor, and everywhere I study g-dips the legs are straight...

Will I still get the same effect if I bend the knees a bit and bring my legs forward? If no, is there another option?

OK, now that we all know what they are and why they are different than regular dips, maybe someone can post that has experience with them...

I just got back from the gym, I tried them out.

I couldn't find a comfortable hand position, I kept adjusting the V angle but it seemed my wrists would bother me every time. Never really felt it good in the pecs, but then again I doubt I did one good rep the Gironda way either.

Please, somebody who has done these:

Is this something I would get used to (uncomfortable wrists)?

I read that Gironda says the bars need to be 33" apart, but all the pics I've seen are maybe a bit more than 2 feet apart, WTF?

Is it true the knuckles need to face each other like I've seen in pics?

Simply trying to hit the pecs more comes from widening the arms OR chaning the angle of the shouler/elbow joints (i.e. turn your elbows outwards more than pointing towards your back).

Try your idea and keep a journal. Time will tell if it works.

Yes, but I'm really trying to do this exact style of dips (Gironda), it's a bit more technical than just widening the grip or adjusting the angle, here check this out - http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1100725 , about halfway down there SOME info, but not too much, you can find more if you google, but there's a lot of conflicting information.

And it's not my idea, it just sucks that my gym doesn't have a dip station and the original question was if somebody with experience could tell me if I could get the same effect using two incline benches not keeping the legs straight but still in front.

I wouldn't think so, the crescent shape was pretty important for getting the feel. However... I can't seem to find it now but a great video clip was on youtube from the Ron Kosloff Gironda exercise DVDs of someone performing them in an alternate style. I will try to explain this right and if you or someone else finds the clip that'll make it instantly clear.

They way the person made their pseudo v dip station was in a power rack. Set the safety bars to an appropriate level that if you were dipping off them(you wont be) your feet wouldn't touch the ground. Get two Olympic barbells and set them paralell to each other on the safety bars. Go to one side of the power rack on the outside and with the parallel Olympic bars spread them apart so that they now are touching the rack and can not be seperated further.

The other side of the barbells should now be touching and you should have a V shape. Ask someone to hold the touching ends of the barbells together and you should have a sturdy v dip station. Also because the V is extremely long you can go as far or as close to the tip(of the V) to get the grip that is the widest you are most comfortable with. If I get some courage I'm going to try to draw this so that you can see it.

Scott M wrote:I wouldn't think so, the crescent shape was pretty important for getting the feel. However... I can't seem to find it now but a great video clip was on youtube from the Ron Kosloff Gironda exercise DVDs of someone performing them in an alternate style. I will try to explain this right and if you or someone else finds the clip that'll make it instantly clear.

They way the person made their pseudo v dip station was in a power rack. Set the safety bars to an appropriate level that if you were dipping off them(you wont be) your feet wouldn't touch the ground. Get two Olympic barbells and set them paralell to each other on the safety bars. Go to one side of the power rack on the outside and with the parallel Olympic bars spread them apart so that they now are touching the rack and can not be seperated further.

The other side of the barbells should now be touching and you should have a V shape. Ask someone to hold the touching ends of the barbells together and you should have a sturdy v dip station. Also because the V is extremely long you can go as far or as close to the tip(of the V) to get the grip that is the widest you are most comfortable with. If I get some courage I'm going to try to draw this so that you can see it.

I noticed a few things I was doing differently than in this video - when I was trying to do these today, I was actually trying to tilt my whole lower body forward, ie: my ass along with my legs. I think that made it near impossible for me, because basically I was trying to put my butt ahead of my upper body. Also, in the video he raises his legs forward more than I was. And last, his hand position is like a normal dip, my knuckles were facing each other.

There is another video on youtube with a guy doing the same dip with the same form as the first video but with a 45. Here it is just for shits - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fc0qCa18dg . Both of the videos are titled gironda dips.

I know I can do them like these guys in the videos, but is this correct? Only things different with these dips from normal triceps dips are the chin in the chest, flared elbows, and legs brought forward, what do you think Scott, are these Gironda style? Also I remember reading somewhere that Gironda says the bars should be 33 inches apart, seems like a lot to me. Unfortunately, I there's no power rack in my gym either. In fact, I've been to every gym in my town (7 gyms) and none of them do. It's a different world over here man.

Those videos look fairly accurate, although they are a little too crescent shaped compared to Vince's description. I don't know if you've seen this site, but here is a couple descriptions and photos of people doing the dips. Some of them have the grip reversed and I believe if you can do that comfortably that's the best position.

Scott M wrote:Those videos look fairly accurate, although they are a little too crescent shaped compared to Vince's description. I don't know if you've seen this site, but here is a couple descriptions and photos of people doing the dips. Some of them have the grip reversed and I believe if you can do that comfortably that's the best position.

Vince wanted them far apart because it created a tremendous stretch on the chest, the wider you can go without pain and get into the full stretch the more beneficial.

thanks scott, last one - I don't think that the bench press is very good at developing my pecs, would you think that wide grip dips, even if not done exactly like Gironda, would be more effective? The only difference would be the hand position, and maybe the width (have to see...)

Regular dips are fine for most. I'm a very triceps dominant person so I have to manipulate body position to put the triceps at a disadvantage(like Gironda dips ha) but most can do regular grip dips and get good chest activation. Also check out the neck press on that site, that's the only way I do chest pressing movements...

Scott M wrote:Regular dips are fine for most. I'm a very triceps dominant person so I have to manipulate body position to put the triceps at a disadvantage(like Gironda dips ha) but most can do regular grip dips and get good chest activation. Also check out the neck press on that site, that's the only way I do chest pressing movements...

Wow, I was going to save that for another post, but now that you bring it up, I just did the wide grip neck presses the same day I tried the dips. I felt the stretch pretty good, seemed like a good exercise.

I felt a bit uncomfortable in my left shoulder, is that normal? I did work hang clean to push presses 3 days before...

My wrists felt a bit uncomfortable from the wide grip, this is something I'll get used to, or maybe there's something wrong with the grip?

Also (sorry), how much weight do you use relative to the weight of your normal bench?